[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MIKE ROSS

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the week of August 
7-13, 2005, as ``National Health Center Week.''
  Community Health Centers, CHCs, are a critical component of our 
health care infrastructure. These centers provide vital care to some of 
the neediest and disadvantaged people who have few places to turn. In 
2004, 105,907 patients were served by CHCs in Arkansas; with a total of 
435,211 patient encounters. Of this amount 52,794, 49 percent, were 
uninsured; 58 percent served lived below 200 percent of the poverty 
level; 12.9 percent were Medicare patients; and 18.9 percent were 
Medicaid patients.
  CHCs help in lowering health care costs in our country. In Arkansas, 
CHCs help save the State 30 percent, or $3 million, in Medicaid savings 
due to reduced hospital admissions, reduced specialty care referrals, 
and fewer emergency room visits. In 2003, 1.2 million emergency room 
outpatient hospital visits were made by Arkansans. This resulted in 
approximately 115,607 visits that could have been treated in a CHC. 
That was $75 million in unnecessary care costs that would have been 
saved if CHCs had been accessed for these services.
  I am pleased to be a cosponsor of a House Resolution that recognizes 
the importance of the Medicaid reimbursement system in our Nation's 
CHCs. I call on my fellow colleagues to join together in a bipartisan 
effort to protect Medicaid funding in the fiscal year 2006 
appropriations cycle for these entities, so that they can continue to 
serve our poor and uninsured populations, and continue to help bring 
savings to our health care system.
  I commend the work and dedication of CHC staff and their substantial 
contribution to helping numerous needy Americans receive health care 
during the week of August 7-13, 2005.

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